Tbisili has a wide array of street conditions.  From freeways to cobblestone streets, the ancient roads and former cow paths  now function as a place for a favorite local sport: DRIVING!   The traffic is TERRIBLE and the self-evident driving rules (as observed each day driving to the airport) are as follows:

1. If you have diplomatic license plates you can get away with a lot of mistakes (we have 'em, and don't ask!)
2. There are really no lanes.  No one knows what those white lines on the streets are supposed to mean.
3. One Way-Do Not Enter signs are there as a challenge to your manhood. Or womanhood. BE ASSERTIVE!!
4. Nine inches is a LOT OF SPACE to be wasted between cars.  Get closer.  Six inches is preferred.
5. If in doubt, HONK!
6. Exept for the following, all large vehicles (trucks, lorries, scud launchers) have the ultimate right of way, except that:
7. All Mercedes have first right of way.
8. All BMWs have second right of way.
9. All Saabs and Volvos have third right of way.  If a Saab and a Volvo confront one another, whoever is two inches ahead has the right of way.  In a tie both cars agree to hit each other equally
10. All Russian cars (we drive a Niva, sort of a Russian mini-4x4) have last right of way. The fact that virtually all the rest of the cars on the street (95%) are Russian makes the last rules come into play frequently:
11. WHOEVER IS AHEAD (by maybe one inch?) OR WHOEVER HONKS FIRST HAS THE RIGHT OF WAY

And Lastly:  Pedestrians are everywhere and stand in the middle of the street with cars missing them at high speeds by inches.  When you see that you are too close for comfort close your eyes and hope for the best!

This picture, for instance, was taken while (Gordon) was driving at about 40 kilometers per hour (about 25 mph).  These people have expertly and adroitly run across the street immediately in front of us, with superb timing which has allowed them to run behind the blue van, which was doing about 60 kilometers per hour. You can see how close they are to "running into the van" and yet they stayed at the same running speed and went behind the van and in front of the Mercedes that was outside my window in the right lane!  Such skill!  Such bravery!
 
 
 
 
 

Of course, the people COULD have utilized these tunnels that cross under the streets so they would not have to risk life and limb, but that wouldn't be playing the game properly, now would it?  The police, of course, try to encourage motorists and pedestrians alike to obey the traffic laws by handing out as many fines as possible during the course of the day.  They say the police make a pretty good living off of tips and gratuities for all of their hard work.  We have diplomatic plates on the Niva, so they can't stop us.  We hope.

On the good side, drivers may honk and shout at each other, but they have no driving-related shootings, fistfights after accidents or people attacked while changing their flat tires!  Makes one wonder about the west . . . . . . .
Here, only authorized people like police can carry a pistol in the glove box and no one has a gun rack in the back!
 
 

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